People travel from throughout the globe to Orlando, Fla., to be entertained at one of the two happiest spots on earth, Disney World.
There are two dazzling treats in town for basketball fans as well.
Hoop prodigies
Julian Newman (a seventh-grader) and
Jaden Newman (a fifth-grader) star on their high school basketball teams at
Downey Christian (Orlando, Fla.).
Yes, in Florida, even 10-year-olds can play varsity high school sports and the Newman siblings are already well known for their basketball exploits.
Both are Internet sensations and both have been featured on major media entities, starting with Julian
here as a fifth-grader on MaxPreps. From there, the
New York Times followed the trail, and shortly after that he appeared on
Conan O'Brien.
On Friday, the Newmans were on full display with home games versus Heritage Prep and both excelled.
With MaxPreps video cameras rolling, Jaden, a 4-foot-5 point guard, scored 30 points on a variety of long-range — we're talking NBA range — 3-pointers, mid-range teardrops and layups after steals in a 65-23 win.
That upped the school's record to 13-4 and Jaden's scoring average to 29.3, to go along with 9.3 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Following Jaden's display, Julian had 25 points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals in a 101-56 win.
That increased Downey Christian's record to 14-7 and Julian's season averages to 19.0 points, 10.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game. He has already scored more than 1,000 points in his varsity career.
He plays on a team with five seniors and a junior among 10 varsity players.
The duo are coached by their father Jamie Newman and both have already attracted Division I college attention, even Jaden from the
University of Miami. She was recruited as a 9-year-old.
